Downtown Norwich post office open until plan for move is firm

Sunday

Nov 17, 2013 at 7:00 PMNov 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM

By Adam Bensonabenson@norwichbulletin.com(860) 908-7004

With no buyers on the horizon for the U.S. Postal Service's downtown Norwich facility, representatives will tell the City Council tonight that it will keep the site operating until a relocation plan is finalized.

The session comes a month after the Postal Service announced it had failed to attract a buyer for the 340 Main St. building, which had been listed for sale by CBRE New England for almost a year.

The Postal Service first informed city officials in February 2011 of its plan to close the site and shift mail services to the Rose City Annex, a distribution center about four miles away, on the Norwich-Bozrah line.

Mayor Peter Nystrom, along with customers of the Main Street branch, say keeping full retail services somewhere downtown should be an essential part of the Postal Service's plan for Norwich.

"The commitment to maintain full retail services stands. But the other truth is they had that building up for sale all that time, and nobody inquired," Nystrom said.

With about 500 post office boxes, the Main Street facility is a hub of activity for local businesses and people who live in the city's downtown.

Even after the Postal Service sheds its brick-and-mortar presence, agency officials have promised to maintain access to the boxes for customers. One possibility, Nystrom said, is for the Postal Service to contract with Otis Library.

"It would help (the library) from a revenue perspective, because there would be rent coming in, which could shift some of the burden off taxpayers," he said.

Veteran real estate specialist Joseph Mulvey, who has worked with the Postal Service for more than 40 years, will represent the agency at tonight's council workshop.

After the meeting, a 15-day public comment period commences. Officials say residents' input will play a role in determining what the Postal Service does with the downtown office.

"A dramatic drop in mail volume due to electronic diversion has created dire financial challenges for the Postal Service, requiring a multi-faceted approach to reducing costs and increasing revenue. Right-sizing the organization's real estate is part of that strategy," the Postal Service said in a statement. "The USPS receives no tax dollars for its operations or facilities, and covers these costs solely through the revenue received from the sale of its products and services."

Nystrom said the city may set up a portal on its website that allows people to offer feedback on the pending move.

Foot traffic remains steady at the downtown location. Patrons like Gail Torrence, who lives just a few blocks away on Chestnut Street, say closing the branch would present a major inconvenience.

"People have their boxes here. This is one of the post office's hot points," she said. "I wouldn't want to see them move it. It would be very inconvenient."